


Keep the Home Fires Burning

by AerisLei



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Typical Violence, Communication, Family Dynamics, Light Angst, Multi, Team Bonding, alternate universe from volume 7, poly stq, qrow bang, qrow is a good dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29565663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerisLei/pseuds/AerisLei
Summary: PolySTQ, Summer returns to find things are not exactly the way she left them. Still, arriving in Atlas to the threat of open war with Salem with her daughter at the center of it all wasn’t what Summer expected. Qrow and Taiyang must face the fact that Summer has been returned with no explanation of where she’s been or why, all while navigating the tangles of their own feelings with each other, and the war with Salem.Written for the 2020 Qrow Bang
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose & Summer Rose
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13
Collections: Qrow Bang 2020





	Keep the Home Fires Burning

**Author's Note:**

> There IS accompanying art by the amazing [Kyria-Nico](https://kyria-nico.tumblr.com). It can be found [here](https://kyria-nico.tumblr.com/post/643614871580295169/keep-the-home-fires-burning)!

Summer trembled slightly, the cold biting at her despite the aura she expended to protect herself from the worst of it. Getting to Atlas had been a difficult process, with communications with the rest of the world down and the fact that the city was mostly walled away from the embargo that Summer had heard whispers about while on the road.

But the name of Rose still meant something to more than one member of the army that she met, although her father had been dead since she was a small child, and Summer herself hadn’t been home in years. Hadn’t come to Atlas except for once during the Vytal Festival after she left home to go to Beacon. She and her mother’s relationship had never recovered from her choice to become a huntress.

It was sad, but Summer had made her choice, and she didn’t regret it.

“Hang on, I need to check something more closely.”

Summer wondered if someone had finally noticed there was something off about her license. Mentally, she braced herself to face whatever was necessary.

The soldier returned. “This license is marked as the holder being killed in action. I’m going to confiscate it. I’d like you to come quietly.”

Come quietly. Summer considered her options. This _was_ Mantle though, she’d made it this far. If she allowed herself to be taken into custody, maybe she could request to speak with James and be taken seriously.

Finally she nodded acceptingly and held out Briar Rose by the guard. “Take care of it, will you? It’s important to me.”

The soldier took the weapon and then secured her hands.

Summer prayed she wasn’t making a mistake. It wasn’t long before she was directed into the back of a prison transport. The huntress kept her head down, but even so, the one who was transporting her frowned.

“Wow, you are a dead ringer for Ironwood’s new team leader. Isn’t she, Alvarado?”

“Not my business.” The other said gruffly.

New team leader? Summer frowned a little, wondering if - but that didn’t make sense. It’d been a while, but Ruby was _only_ 17.

The radio crackled to life. “Transport 12?”

“Yes?” One of the two - Alvarado, Summer thought - answered. “Did you pick up the alleged huntress displaying a KIA flagged license?”

“Sure did.”

“The general wants her brought to him at the Academy instead of taking her to the holding cells. Operative Amin will meet you on landing bay 2.”

“Roger that.”

Operative. One of the Ace Ops was going to get involved? Summer didn’t think she would have triggered _that_ much of a threat. But then again, James had apparently heard enough already that he wanted her at the Academy. Perhaps it was a good sign for all that it made her just a little nervous. James did most official business at the school, sure, but Summer didn’t _think_ she’d be brought there instead of a cell unless there was some trust that maybe she was who she claimed to be.

Silver eyes peered through the window that she could see from where she was sitting, watching the view of Atlas change as they glided onward towards the Academy itself.

They landed a short time later, and a man wearing the Ace Operative uniform opened the rear door. Summer blinked in surprise as she realized the man had a tail - a Faunus? Things must have come further than she realized for there to be a Faunus among the Ace Operatives. … That or he had a _very_ impressive semblance. 

At any rate, he seemed almost as surprised as she was when he saw her. “Ruby, what are you-” And then he frowned. “No, not Ruby.” He said, shaking his head. But there was doubt in his eyes.

She climbed out of the back of the transport, a task only slightly complicated by having her hands bound behind her at the moment. That he’d called her Ruby was telling. The Operative had worked with the girl before. So Ruby really _was_ here?

“Name?”

“… Summer Rose.”

And that was the name on the license that was inactive. He may or may not believe her, but it didn’t really matter what he believed.

Marrow though looked like maybe he believed her at her word, or at least he’d decided he would not argue with her about it. “Come on then, Summer.” She followed along closely.

She’d never been inside the halls of Atlas Academy and quickly found herself somewhat turned around as they made their way to the headmaster’s office. Finally, though, Marrow stopped before a set of doors and opened them, beckoning her to enter behind him.

“You can go, Marrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Faunus retreated, leaving her alone in the office, staring forward at James. He’d aged. A lot… she thought. But then again, this war hadn’t been easy on any of them. War never was.

There was silence as he studied her for a moment. James sat back in his chair, hands folded in front of him.

“I can’t say this is what I was expecting when I heard someone was trying to get by on the license of a deceased Atlesian huntress.” He was frowning fractionally before rising and meeting her at the halfway point across his office. It took him less than 30 seconds to free her hands. Summer rubbed at her wrists methodically, bringing circulation back into her hands.

“Clearly not deceased.”

“But missing for 12 years, which brings up many more questions…”

“I… wish I knew the answers.” Summer responded, her shoulder’s slumping. “I really do. But I… I don’t. I remember going on that mission, I remember separating from Qrow that morning. And then I was in one of the villages on Solitas with no idea how I got there. So I thought Atlas would be my best shot, since Vale was so far away.”

“You wouldn’t have found much in Vale. Beacon is gone, and Raven brought Taiyang here recently before disappearing again.”

“Beacon is- what do you mean _gone?”_

“Salem attacked. Or more accurately, directed one of her minions to lead an attack. The school was amid hosting the Vytal festival. Ozpin died and was reincarnated again, and your daughter woke her power long enough to seal a wyvern in stone, but not destroy it.”

“But… she’s… Ruby’s only…”

“Seventeen, yes, I know. It was a hard decision giving her her license. But after she acted in both the fall of Beacon, and the fight to protect Haven, and after everything she’s learn and seen and done, it seemed… dangerous to keep her in the dark. At least with a license I can make sure she isn’t going off the rails by doing things without permission.”

“You said Raven brought Taiyang here?”

“Qrow is here with the girls as well. They’ll be glad to see you.”

“The girls? Yang’s here too?”

“Yes, she is. Both are part of team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose, along with Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Ruby is… very much like you.”

“In all the best ways, I hope.”

“And a few of the less pleasant ones.”

Summer scowled at him. “What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” She demanded.

“You’ll see.”

“Anyway, am I really supposed to believe that you’ve been gone 12 years, and _that’s_ all you know?”

“I…” Summer shrugged helplessly. “Believe what you want, but I’m telling the truth.”

“Summer.”

“James.” She responded, meeting his gaze steadily. “What point would there be in lying to you?”

“You know there is a huntress under my jurisdiction who can tell if you are lying.”

“So bring her in if you’re so sure.” Summer had nothing to hide.

That seemed to surprise James. How ready she was to defend herself, and that told him a lot. For now, he’d let it alone.

“Sit. Have a drink.” He motioned slightly towards a pitcher of water and some glasses. “I will call Qrow and Tai here. We’ll go from there.”

The tension seemed to slide out of the room, and yet Summer’s heart leaped into her throat.

Seeing them again, after all this time? She was excited, and she was terrified. The two feelings warred until Summer was afraid she was going to be sick. She sat down, sipping on the cup of water, and told herself it was foolish to be so nervous. No matter what, they were still a team.

The door opened again. Summer twisted in her seat and felt her heart squeeze in her chest.

Qrow. He looked older than she remembered. More tired, but those ruby eyes were familiar, and she felt tears well up in her own. Summer set her cup down on the side table before she darted across the space and embraced him.

Qrow made a startled noise, but made no attempt to free himself from her clinging.

Summer noted that there wasn’t even a hint of the smell of alcohol clinging to his shirt. It was an odd thing to notice, and yet… hm. Summer said nothing, but also didn’t let go.

After a few moments, Qrow’s arms loosely wrapped around her waist, and he seemed content to just let her stay where she was for a while longer. “I missed you too.” He said finally in a quiet murmur. Qrow tolerated her clinging for several moments longer, but, finally, he spoke again. “… Are… you going to let go?”

“… Right.” And then her hands dropped away, and she stepped back away from him to study him more closely. About that time, Taiyang entered through the door to join them.

 _He_ hugged her this time. Summer hugged back just as tightly for several moments, pulling Qrow into _this_ hug as well.

This one was much shorter, the three of them breaking up as they remembered that they weren’t _alone_ in the room. Summer’s hands remained linked with one of each of theirs.

“You were gone for so long. What happened?”

“I… don’t really know.” Summer admitted shyly. “I don’t remember anything right now, between the mission and appearing in a village a few days’ trip from here.” There was a pause before she continued. “I’m sorry, I don’t know how I was gone or why, but I’m sorry because I know you and the girls needed me and I wasn’t there anymore.”

“It’s not your fault, Sum.”

“I should have never gone on that mission.” Was the quiet response. She didn’t say what she’d gone to do. It didn’t matter now, since it hadn’t _worked, anyway_.

They talked for a bit longer, with the two of them giving her a status report on the state of things and the current struggles of the war with Salem. A war that wouldn’t end - ever - most likely. As they talked they migrated out of Ironwood’s office to somewhere else, somewhere more private where they could talk together without the discomfort of having someone who wasn’t _part_ of them listening in.

“So the girls… don’t _know_ about the three of us?” Summer said slowly, registering fully what Qrow had said.

“No, they don’t. They know about you and Taiyang. After you were gone the two of us had a minor falling out as it was. So it never really… came up.”

Summer looked unhappy about that.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Qrow murmured. “It was easier to let them know me as uncle Qrow than get into the complications of the three of us. Especially when Tai and I were only barely on speaking terms half the time until recently.”

Summer had been the glue that held their team together, and maybe it wasn’t surprising that it had gone to shards when she went away. It was still heartbreaking to realize that two of the most important people in her life had been _alone_ while she was gone.

* * *

“Something on your mind, Summer?” Qrow tilted his head slightly, studying her face as he settled down beside her, handing her a cup of coffee. “Large splash of cream and three sugars.”

Summer blinked at him in surprise, but took the cup. “I can’t believe you _remember_ that.” 

Qrow couldn’t help the wry smile. “I’ve gotta be good at somethin’ Shortstack.” Was what came out with a short laugh. He watched as she took a sip of the coffee. “But I was serious about the question, you know.” He probed gently.

“When will Yang and Ruby be back?”

“Tomorrow afternoon, their team is on a mission with the Ace Ops. I wasn’t thrilled about being sent elsewhere, but I trust James.”

Summer nodded quietly, pulling her knees up towards her chest, and then she curled slightly around the cup of coffee. “I’m a little nervous.”

“Don’t be. They’ll be so happy to see you, Sum.”

She shifted slightly and her head came to rest against his shoulder slightly, still carefully holding the cup of coffee so she wouldn’t spill it. “I’m sure you’re right. I can’t help the feeling though.”

Qrow shifted slightly so his head rested against her hair. And in that moment, he realized just how _easily_ he settled back into being comfortable with her presence. It was almost as if she hadn’t been gone at all.

The years threatened to melt away - but so much had _happened_ between then and now, and maybe nothing could be quite what it once was. 

“We’ll have to be honest with them. I know you haven’t wanted to, but…”

“Let’s let them get their feet under them after being surprised by you being _alive_ first. We’ll go from there.” 

Summer frowned, somewhat unhappy at the idea of continuing to hide this from the girls. She nodded anyway. “I guess you’re right…” Letting them process one shock at a time might be kinder. “But I wonder if letting them get the whole shock to the system at once might be better than spreading it out.”

“It’ll be fine.” He insisted gently. 

And Summer let it go. _Probably_ because she expected him to know the girls better than she did anymore. Qrow felt a tiny flicker of guilt. But playing it by ear from here really was the safer option. Ruby and Yang had both been… rash in the past, and he didn’t really want to encourage the behavior. And throwing too much at them could very well do just that.

And there was also the fact that there was no telling what the relationship between himself and Summer and Taiyang would even look like in the next short while and perhaps figuring that out before they introduced Yang and Ruby into the equation was a good idea.

“So you really have no idea where you were for all that time?” Qrow asked, feeling the almost compulsive need to do so now that they were alone. Summer wasn’t a liar, he knew that, but Qrow couldn’t help but feel like it was impossible that she had _no idea_ what had happened in the intervening years. It had been more than a decade. That kind of time didn’t just _disappear_. 

“I really don’t.” Summer repeated. “I wish I did, I wish I had answers for you and Tai. But I just…” She shrugged slightly and pulled away from him to curl in slightly on herself. 

“It’s okay.” Qrow murmured, though he didn’t reach out for her. “I just wanted to ask while it was just us, in case it was something you didn’t want James to hear.” He looked away from her for a moment. “It’s just strange to think that all that time just vanished.” She’d aged physically and there were new scars that he’d noticed on her arms. And yet she had no memory of what had happened while she was gone. 

It was a little scary, Qrow thought, not knowing where she’d been or what happened.

“I’m sorry.” She said finally. “I’m sorry because it’s _not_ okay. Because I left both of you and the girls to pick up the pieces and I can’t even explain where I was or why I wasn’t there.”

There was a stillness between them for several moments as she calmed down and sipped at her coffee. There was very little for the tension, and there was little to be done for that stillness between them.

“This may not be the best timing,” Qrow said carefully after a bit longer. “But Taiyang and I have a patrol. No one uses the training rooms I showed you on the east side, if you wanted to find a partner and do some sparring. James hasn’t given clearance for you to join us yet, so…”

“I get it.” Summer said quietly, shifting slightly to face him properly, “Be careful, if you can be. I’ll stay out of trouble.”

Qrow pressed a kiss to the back of the hand of hers that he held between his. “We’ll try.” He promised before he rose and released her.

Ten minutes later found him and Taiyang on a transport heading for Mantle. Alone, for the moment, except for the pilot, they sat nearest the doors directly across from one another.

Qrow leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees.

“You okay?” Taiyang asked.

The dark-haired man didn’t have to look up to know that Taiyang’s intense blue eyes were locked onto him. He nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just… thinking about everything.” The war with Salem, Ozpin still being silent within Oscar. The fact that James had looked… _defeated_ when Qrow told him the truth about Salem.

No, defeated was the wrong word, Qrow thought. But he had looked resigned, and so exhausted. That had been rocky, but they’d gotten through it. Still, the threat of Salem loomed, and they had no idea when - or how - she might strike next. 

Ruby hadn’t been sure about Qrow telling James, but had understood, and ultimately conceded it was the right thing to do. It was just they’d all reacted so violently, she’d been afraid, afraid of what James might do. Qrow trusted James, he had to. And so, he’d told James himself, and maybe that was for the best, anyway. Letting the general hear it from _him._ A coworker, if not a friend. And a man he knew wouldn’t lie or play things up. 

“Everything’s a pretty broad statement, Qrow.”

“You should know by now that I’m perfectly capable of broad trains of thought.” Came the dry response.

“Try not to let it get to you.”

“Try not to let the fact that the missing love of our lives returned with no indication of where she was or why she was gone? Or the fact that there’s no telling if the three of us can even work together anymore, but I still love both of you so much it hurts to think about? And how the girls are going to take the whole situation since they’ve been left out of so much?” Qrow paused for a second before continuing. “Or do you mean the fact that the evil we’re fighting can’t be beaten but we also can’t stop fighting her? Or the fact that the daughters the three of us raised are out there _right now,_ helping secure the area so we can launch this tower into the sky - which might not even _work_.”

Qrow sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. His head jerked up when he felt Taiyang’s hand on his shoulder, and crimson eyes met blue for the first time that afternoon.

“Doesn’t it feel better to just say that?” Taiyang said, tone a little wry. “I’m not saying I have answers for all of it, or even most of it. But…” The blond shook his head. “Look, I know things were rough for a long time. And I know things may never be what they were before, but we managed then, and we’ll get through this too.” 

“Thanks, Tai.” 

“I mean it.” He said sincerely. “But you got me through some of the darkest times of my life. And if you need to talk, it’s part of what I’m here for.” 

Qrow nodded a little. “You know me. It’s hard to say anything, even with it all rattling around like this.”

“I get it.” 

Qrow never had been good with words, had he? 

“But the more you let it tie you in knots, the less control you have over your semblance. Try not to forget that, either.”

It always came back to that eventually, but there was another nod from Qrow. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Come on, this is our stop.” Taiyang gave him a little smirk that almost threw Qrow back into the past, when STRQ was together and the world seemed a lot less cold. It was a nice feeling, fleeting though it was. 

Qrow rolled his eyes, “This is the _only_ stop, Tai.” Qrow said, but there was a bit of warmth in his tone, and maybe just a bit of affection. 

The pair disembarked from the transport and began tracing their path. A group of sabyr had gotten into part of the sewer tunnels, and while it wasn’t glamorous work, they needed to get rid of it before someone got seriously hurt. And that was their job.

It would take both of them since the task may require a bit of herding the beast to make sure it didn’t slip past them deeper into the tunnels than they could reach. 

* * *

“Nice being back out in the field?”

Taiyang made a noise of acknowledgement but didn’t immediately comment beyond that. 

“Some parts are nicer than others.” Taiyang said after a moment or two. Wandering about in a sewer was not on the list of ‘nice’ but working together with Qrow, like they were a team again? That was definitely on the list.

“You haven’t lost your edge.”

“I’m honestly offended that you were afraid I might have.” Taiyang said, though despite his words the tone was closer to mock-offended than anything else. 

“Teaching isn’t the same as all this.” 

Taiyang shrugged. “I guess not.” Then a frown. “Is that why we were assigned to this instead of being sent out with the Ace Ops?”

“No, no.” Qrow shook his head. “At least not primarily. They’ve been varying who gets assigned where pretty regularly. Likely trying to find the best groupings for if things get serious.”

“It’s only a matter of time before that happens, isn’t it?”

Qrow inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the words, but he did not respond immediately. Somehow that didn’t surprise Taiyang. “It seems that way, after Beacon, then Haven.” Was what Qrow finally said. “So we’ll have to be ready, but we have the backing of the military. Maybe it will help.”

Maybe it wouldn’t all the same, Taiyang thought. Atlas was ripe for the exact sort of division that Salem and her minions preyed on best.

Taiyang wondered what was going on in Qrow’s mind, as he often did. “Beacon had the backing of Ironwood’s military too.” He pointed out, tone much less light than before.

“… Yeah, I know.” Taiyang watched as Qrow looked down and away slightly. That night, it had been hard on all of them. Taiyang still remembered the sight of his brother-in-arms carrying their daughter’s limp form.

He’d been so angry, so quick to blame Qrow’s encouragement of her dream to be a huntress. 

“It’s a bit late, but I did want to apologize for-”

“It’s already forgiven.” Qrow cut across before Taiyang could finish the sentence, and blue eyes narrowed slightly in irritation. 

“Just because you’ve already forgiven me doesn’t mean I shouldn’t apologize and try to do better.” Taiyang said after a moment or two. 

Qrow sighed. “Fine, what do you want to apologize for?” He asked as they settled into their seats on the transport again.

“I know how much you care about both of them, and blaming you for what happened to Yang and Ruby at Beacon was beyond uncalled for, so I’m sorry for that.” Taiyang said finally. It had been eating at him since Yang left to catch up with them. Since before he’d gotten Raven to send him here to rejoin them.

“I know how it is. I blamed myself too.”

“That’s… that’s kind of my point.” Tai said, carefully. “You already take the blame for everything, even when you shouldn’t. You didn’t need me twisting the knife.”

Taiyang could tell that Qrow didn’t know what to say in response to that, and for the moment the blond let it go. They weren’t back to where they’d been, a long time ago, but they were in a better place than they’d been after the fall of Beacon. That was a start, and for now that was enough. 

One couldn’t rush the healing process, after all.

* * *

“How’d the mission go, you two?” Qrow had met them as they were leaving the debriefing room and had separated them from the rest of the team by simply _asking_ for a little family time. The girls were always happy to oblige.

Taiyang should have been with Summer in one of the meeting rooms, which was where Qrow was leading the girls. He’d volunteered, and there’d really been no argument. The girls knew Tai was around, he’d been here before their mission. Summer though… well, one step at a time.

“It was fine.” Ruby answered with a flash of a smile. “The hunt didn’t turn out to be nearly as high risk as the briefing said. We were just fine.”

“That’s good to hear.” Better easier than expected than harder, even if the Ace Ops had been there to help if something went wrong. Qrow could be glad that it had been out of an abundance of caution that ended up not being necessary.

He’d have hated to have them come back in pieces, but they would have hardly been the first team their age to overestimate their own abilities.

“How did things go here? Everything okay?” It was Yang who asked.

Qrow wondered if it was a general question, or if she was picking up on the tension in the air. “Everything’s fine here. No major developments in the war while you were gone. Mantle’s under control.” As opposed to rioting or flooded with Grimm so badly, they’d had to evacuate. It was better than it could have been.

“You just seem a little tense.” Yang again, of course. 

“You’ll see.” Was what he said instead of answering. They’d agreed on that, too. That some conversations could wait until it was their family all together rather than just _telling_ them.

Yang looked a little unsure about how to _feel_ about that statement, but she nodded. “Okay.” 

“It’s nothing bad, firecracker, I promise.” And at the very least, he did mean that sincerely. This was by all rights a _good_ thing, not a bad thing, even if there were still several questions that had gone unanswered. 

“Yeah, okay. That’s good to hear.”

Qrow could only imagine that by now their tolerance for bad news was shot. And to be honest about it, so was his.

Qrow’s hand closed over the door handle, and he turned slightly to look at both of the girls. He’d meant to say something, but it died on his lips. No, it would be strange to say it now. It was better to leave it alone. 

And so Qrow twisted the handle and pushed the door open, stepped inside and to one side so he did not obscure their view of the other occupants. 

There was a moment of silence that stretched for several seconds while the girls parsed out what they were seeing. Both followed him far enough into the room that he could close the door behind them to give their little family meeting a bit of privacy.

“Mom?” Yang spoke up first, stepping forward despite the confusion on her face. “Is it really- ? how are you- ? I don’t think I understand.”

“Yes, it’s really me, Yang.” Summer murmured, rising from her seat as she spent a moment taking both Ruby and Yang in visually. They’d prepared her for Yang’s prosthetic, but at the same time perhaps nothing could _really_ prepare a mother to see that one of her daughters had been wounded to such an extreme.

“As for the how I’m not really… sure.” She admitted, looking down a bit, before looking back up and meeting Yang’s violet gaze. “But I’m here now. I’ve missed you - both of you - so much. You’ve both grown up so much since I saw you last.” 

Well, it had been more than a decade, of course they’d grown up. Qrow didn’t say that. Instead, he gave Yang an encouraging little nod as he inclined his head towards Summer.

The blond stepped forward, and with only a moment or two more of hesitation she hugged Summer, sniffling just slightly as she did so.

Ruby remained at Qrow’s side, looking uncertain as she regarded the stranger that Yang clung to. 

“Don’t you want to say hello, Petal?” He asked her in a soft voice, pitched low enough it didn’t carry to Summer or Yang, who seemed to be speaking between themselves as Taiyang looked on.

“I think Yang deserves a few minutes.” Was what Ruby said, but there seemed to be something else in her eyes as she regarded the woman who looked so much like her. There was very little recognition in her expression. Of course, Ruby had been _so_ young when Summer had gone away. Most of her memories were probably not so much memories as _stories_. 

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.” Ruby said, finally looking away from Summer to look up at him. The smile came a bit more easily. “I bet you and dad must have been thrilled to see her again.”

Qrow nodded a little. “We were. It was a good moment for us all. I thought you’d be happier.” The last bit was just slightly prompting. Sometimes he could guess at what went on in her mind, but other times… well. Sometimes it was better to ask than guessing.

“I am happy. I just…” 

“You just?” Qrow prompted again gently.

Ruby shook her head, and Qrow could tell he would not get anything more out of her, so he decided not to push. 

“It’s okay, you know. I know you don’t remember her very well. It’s okay to want to take it slow. Nothing has to change. We all love you very much, you can take your time getting comfortable with it all.”

There was a tiny flicker of relief in her eyes. “Thanks.” 

Qrow let his hand rest in the middle of her back as he stepped forward. It wasn’t really a push, and if she resisted at all, he’d immediately stop. What happened instead though was that he guided her forward until the two of them had joined Summer and Yang in the middle of the room. Ruby remained close to his side, but that was okay. 

Qrow thought Summer would understand. 

After a moment or two, Yang and Summer released one another and took a step apart. Both turned their attention towards Ruby, and Qrow felt the urge to step between them, to lighten the scrutiny on her while she was still trying to process what Summer’s presence here might mean for their family.

“Ruby?” Yang said, her tone slightly questioning as she wiped at her eyes to erase the last traces of the tears she’d shed. 

Ruby offered Yang a smile, and Qrow relaxed, just fractionally. 

“It’s nice to see you.” Ruby said, her attention drifting back to summer, though her expression was still a little uncertain. 

Summer opened her arms slightly, offering Ruby a hug. The girl took a step back, and the motion of doing so put Qrow between the two of them. Summer lowered her arms immediately. “I’m sorry.” She said, tone earnest. 

“It’s fine.” Ruby said, but her tone was less certain. “I just… I need a little time.”

“Of course.” Summer said, tone gentle. 

“Is there… anything else?” Ruby asked. “Any more surprises?” She said, with a short laugh that seemed to say that she may or may not be able to _handle_ any other surprises if they said no now and changed their minds later.

“… Well…” Summer began, and then paused, looking up at Qrow and then over at Taiyang, somewhat uncertain.

Qrow bit his tongue. They’d agreed not to say anything about the three of them just yet, but as they approached this situation, he wondered if Summer hadn’t been right about the risks involved with pulling the rug out from under them again as soon as they found their feet again.

“Why don’t we all sit down and have some tea. We have cocoa too.” For Ruby, who strongly preferred it to tea of any kind, or coffee for that matter. “And we’ll talk a little more.”

Everyone seemed to be in agreement. Yang settled between Summer and Taiyang. Ruby chose the seat closer to Taiyang, which left Qrow to take the one between Ruby and Summer. 

Which Qrow did, right after he made tea for himself and the rest of the group, and a cup of cocoa for Ruby, of course. Somehow he managed this without doing more than dropping the spoon. … Twice. He’d still consider that a win.

He tuned into the conversation once he was sitting, and noted that Taiyang had taken some control of the situation, asking the girls about their mission and how things had gone. Getting a basic outline of the way things looked out there, and how their team had handled working with more experienced huntsmen in the field.

The tension had faded, and their family _could_ have been almost normal. It drifted a bit further, as they asked how Qrow and Taiyang had been getting along and what the situation in Mantle _really_ looked like since both of them had been in missions down there recently. They exchanged updates on the tower’s status. 

Qrow exchanged another look with Summer and Taiyang. He’d been the one most vehement about letting the girls get used to Summer being back before they told them anything else. It stood to reason he would have to be the one to vocalize it if they were to go with a different plan after all.

Still, Qrow hesitated. Did it matter? Did they really need to know that the three of them had been a single unit beyond just being a _team_? It didn’t even really matter that there was a chance that Ruby was his and not Taiyang’s - they were just a family, and it wouldn’t mean anything if they happened to be a different type of family unit than was standard on Remnant. 

But it felt like lying to them, if only by omission. Qrow wasn’t sure that was a good idea, even if it did also seem rather harmless. 

There was a lull in the conversation. Qrow took a breath - if he was going to do this, he needed to do it _now_ before he lost his nerve.

“So you asked if there was anything else you should know…” Qrow began, but his attention was on Summer and Taiyang. Summer nodded once, understanding what he was doing and offering her agreement. Taiyang raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. He wasn’t as sure as she was then, but was willing to let Qrow make this decision. 

“Go on.” It was Yang who prompted him, not Ruby. It was hardly _ever_ Ruby who got impatient first.

“The three of us,” It was Taiyang who picked up the thread instead, apparently deciding Qrow was taking too long to find the right words. “were married, originally. It wasn’t just me and Summer. We’re all _still_ married, even.”

It wasn’t as if the two of them had ever gone through the motions of a divorce. They’d just… stopped acting the part. Summer’s loss had left too many holes in them, and they’d ended up hurting each other too much. Grief was like that, Qrow supposed. 

He still didn’t know where all of this left the three of them. Left their family unit, even. That was something they would need to figure out together.

* * *

“Thought I might find you out here.” Qrow said as he joined Ruby on the balcony that overlooked the academy grounds. “Do you want to be alone?”

“You’re fine.” Ruby said without looking at him. She leaned against the railing, attention focused somewhere _away_ from the grounds. Some point in the stars, it seemed.

“Are you okay?”

“I think…” She trailed off for a moment. “I think I’m afraid.”

Qrow’s instinct was to tell her she didn’t have anything to be afraid of, that their family would be just fine, that nothing really changed with Summer’s return, or at least it didn’t have to if she really didn’t want it to. But he stopped that instinct and instead joined her at the railing.

“Of what, petal?”

“Of what happens if she goes away again.” Ruby turned to face him while still leaning against the railing. Silver eyes met garnet, and Qrow could see a lot of conflict in those eyes. “She disappeared for so long and I don’t remember a lot from back then, but I remember… I remember how sad and angry you were. And I remember how devastated dad was. And all I can think is what if she goes away again and destroys the fragile peace that we’ve finally built for ourselves?”

She breathed out and huffed slightly. “I don’t want to see either of you like that. I don’t want Yang to have to lose her again. I don’t want to know how much of you and dad will be lost if she goes away again, when you’ve both finally really started to heal. I don’t… I don’t want to start to get attached just to lose her again, either.”

It was a reasonable thing to be afraid of, Qrow thought. 

“And because we don’t know where she was or why she was gone we can’t know it won’t happen again.”

“I understand, I think.” Qrow said mildly. 

“And I know… you keep saying that nothing has to change, and it’s going to be okay. But it has changed, and it’s not just… perception about the fact that we didn’t _know_ all three of you were together. Her presence here is a drastic difference. And if she goes away again, it _will_ change again. And there’s no way of knowing exactly how.”

Qrow nodded quietly, accepting her words but not interrupting, just in case there was more bottled up in there that she was ready to let spill forward. Instead, a silence stretched between them. 

“I’m not going to tell you not to worry, or that nothing will change if she goes away again. Emotions… aren’t that simple. Instead, I’m going to tell you that Tai and I are going to support you no matter how you feel about this, and that you’re perfectly within your rights to not be ready to let her close.”

Ruby nodded slightly, accepting that. “I guess it’s just a lot to deal with… with everything else going on, too.” 

Qrow nodded. “I know you’re handling a lot right now, kiddo. Just remember you don’t have to handle it alone.”

Ruby stepped closer to him then, and Qrow wrapped her up in a hug, more than familiar enough with her body language to recognize that it was _exactly_ what she needed at that moment. 

“Thank you for listening.” She mumbled into his shirt.

“Any time.” And he meant it, really. “Though, I think it’s probably about time for you to get some rest.”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“‘Course.” Breakfast, and the daily debriefing if nothing else. More assignments. 

Qrow remained on the balcony after she went inside, staring out over the grounds for several quiet moments. Her words weighed on him a little, and some part of Qrow wondered again exactly what had kept Summer away for so long. And if that lack of knowledge may eventually come back to haunt them. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Summer; it was that he didn’t trust their enemies. Salem was always looking for a way to divide and conquer those who dared oppose her. 

Qrow didn’t think that Summer would willingly betray them, and he’d decided already that he was going to trust her word. But that didn’t really make it easier to soothe Ruby when he didn’t have many answers himself. Then again, she wasn’t a child anymore. 

Qrow still didn’t entirely know when she’d gotten so grown up. But it had happened right under his nose. 

No, he knew. It had happened after Beacon when the fall left scars on her and Yang both. And then all through her travels in Mistral. None of them had had any choice but to grow up and figure it out. 

It was a little sad, really. It wasn’t the way he’d have chosen for this to go for any of them. They’d deserved the chance to learn and grow at their own pace. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t proud of how well they managed, in spite of the lack of a formal education. 

* * *

“Something on your mind?” Summer asked as she approached from his left-hand side.

“Surprised you’re still up.”

Summer shrugged a little before responding, “I could say the same to you. You were out early this morning.”

“And I’ll be up early tomorrow too.” It was just sort of the way things had been around here. It was busy, they had a lot of work to do, and a lot of ground to cover. And they didn’t have a lot of time, or enough people, to cover all of it. It meant they all had to work that much harder. 

“Anything in particular keeping you up, Shortstack?”

“Mm.” Summer looked down for a moment, as if she was looking back at the tundra. “It’s… there’s a lot. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m going to be up for a bit longer anyway, might as well talk about it.” Gentle, offering a small bit of encouragement, but trying not to come across as pushy. 

“It’s a little uncomfortable, being back in Atlas. I left… a long time ago. And being back here…”

Qrow rested a hand on her shoulder. “I can imagine. It’s probably a bit like when I have to visit the tribe because I need to speak with Raven.”

“Yeah, like that.” Summer admitted.

“But you aren’t alone, we’re with you. And you’re hardly a teenager who’s family can order around, anymore.”

“I know. But we _are_ at James’ mercy, more or less.” There was something in her tone that showed she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that. “I know James is a good person, and I know he’s doing the best he can while being dealt a pretty poor hand. But Mantle is bearing an awful lot of weight.” And they weren’t getting a lot of relief, either.

“It’s not forever.” Qrow said gently. “But I understand the concern.”

It didn’t have to be forever for it to be too much. Mantle had always been the weaker of the two cities. It had always been looked down upon. And when she was young, Summer hadn’t known better. But being back here reminded her of just how harsh life on Solitas really was. 

It wasn’t hard to imagine they’d push Mantle too far if someone didn’t remember just how much they were asking of the poorer city. Even with the huntsmen and huntresses protecting it, that might not be enough if things got too bad.

“Is that all?”

Summer shook her head slightly in answer, and Qrow didn’t _have_ to prompt her for the huntress to know he was waiting on an answer to be given. 

“It’s hard to know what to say, to Ruby and Yang.” She admitted. “And I knew this was going to happen. Of course things changed in that length of time, but… that doesn’t make it any easier.” She admitted. “I don’t now how to bridge the gap that’s formed. And Yang is good at pretending it isn’t there. Or maybe she hasn’t noticed it yet. But Ruby…”

“Ah. I see.”

Qrow shifted around slightly, tilting his head at Summer with a quiet, thoughtful look in his eyes. As if he was trying to figure out how much to _tell_ her, despite clearly knowing something she didn’t.

“I think you’ll just need to give it time.” Was what Qrow finally said. “Ruby was very young when you went away, and she doesn’t really remember you. She needs time to build a bond with you. Right now all she has is… this image she painted of you from our stories. And she has to reconcile that with reality. It’s not easy for either of you right now.”

If there was more that he thought on the subject, he didn’t share it for the moment. Still, it was comforting to be reminded that just because it was hard now didn’t necessarily mean it would stay this hard. She just needed to remember to be patient with both of them. Just like she’d had to be patient with Qrow and Taiyang. 

They had every right to be uncertain about her; she was the one who had vanished for more than a decade, after all. 

“Do you really think those gaps can be bridged?”

“Things might not be the same,” Qrow allowed, “But we can build a family together. Things have changed, it’s been years. But that doesn’t mean that what we can have _now_ isn’t worth having.”

“Thanks.” She said softly into the cool night air. “I think… I think I needed to hear that.”

Qrow draped an arm across her shoulders at that. “Come on, we should get some rest before morning.”

Summer nodded and they both turned to go inside together. 

* * *

It had been several days since the news had been given to the girls. There had been some distance between them all in that period, while they let the girls process the news, and the adults ended up carrying several missions between the three of them. 

Summer had been cleared to return to duty, finally, with her license reinstated by Ironwood. So, of course, she joined in their rotations. The more of them there were to spread things over, the easier it became to balance it all. Still, there was a lot and not a lot of people who _knew_ what they were doing with Amity Arena, and that made a difference in how much help they had.

It was still for the best that it all be kept a secret. There were too many people who couldn’t be trusted, too many who might accidentally spread the information, and then who knew who would end up with it.

“Just watch.” Qrow suggested, inclining his head towards the training room that they could see. “And I think it will resolve most of your concerns about the group mission in a few days.”

Summer gave him a strange look but turned her attention towards the viewing window. 

“I’m serious, shortstack. Just watch them. The girls and their team are something special.”

“Be that as it may, they’re still kids, Qrow.”

“You’re going to have to let go of that, eventually.” His tone was dry. “Yeah, they’re kids. But they fought in the fall of Beacon, and they fought to protect Haven. They’ve faced down Maidens and become direct targets of Salem’s minions. There’s no keeping them out of this war, Summer. They chose this path. And neither one will thank you for trying to stop them.” He sighed. “And they’re not that much younger than we were when we made our choices.”

“And look how that worked out for us.” Summer retorted. 

Qrow didn’t say anything more, instead watching the training session with a renewed interest. The Atlas students they were sparring against were giving them a good fight, but Qrow could easily see what Ruby’s plan was - and unless something changed and fast, they were going to claim victory.

The group mission wouldn’t necessarily be easy on any of them, but Qrow wondered if _perhaps_ switching Summer out for an additional one of the Ace Ops wouldn’t be for the best. If she was going to question and second guess everything team RWBY did, it could be a problem and fast given Taiyang was going to be the only _adult_ in the second team. Summer was supposed to be accompanying himself and Clover as team one. And then team JNR would be working with Elm and Vine again as team three.

They were helping take care of some grimm that had moved in on the launch site when they’d had to withdraw briefly to cover Mantle better. There had been sightings of at least six Megoliath on the tundra there. The herd would have to be cleared, and it was _not_ a task they took lightly.

But relocating Grimm like that simply wasn’t possible, either. 

And so they’d do the best they could, whether or not it felt like the best idea.

* * *

It was a clear, cold morning, and they’d left Atlas before dawn broke over the horizon. Breakfast was an on the go affair while they were all still aboard the airship. They were taking one transport with the teams to split up when they hit the ground. It was just as well, since it fostered a sense of togetherness and allowed for quiet chatter.

Ruby was chatting animatedly with Summer, and Qrow was proud of her for doing her level best to bridge some of the gap between them. Summer seemed a little surprised, but was following the flow of the conversation well enough. 

“That bodes well.” Taiyang mentioned, inclining his head towards the conversation. 

“It does.” Qrow acknowledged with a wry smile. “How do you feel being set with team RWBY?”

“They made it this far. I’m not worried about _them_ , though I am a little concerned about the mission. This is rather… ambitious. If the herd is larger than the six confirmed, it could be trouble.”

“Just the _six_ could be trouble if they have an Alpha with them.”

And only a trained eye could really tell an Alpha, so Qrow wasn’t trusting the reports they’d gotten so far. There was almost always at least one alpha in a group like this. If there wasn’t, they’d be lucky. 

Qrow, for obvious reasons, didn’t tend to bank on luck. 

“You’re making my point for me.” Taiyang said dryly.

“Just being realistic.” 

It was a sobering reminder of what they were out here to do.

“You just be careful. Your team is the smallest of the set.”

“We’ll manage.” Clover worked well enough with Qrow that he wasn’t really worried. And Summer… had always had a knack for staying out of trouble around him, and the resilience to bounce back from anything that happened. A few sparring sessions had indicated she hadn’t lost either talent.

It was the reason Qrow had ultimately not requested she be swapped for someone else and benched on this mission, despite his misgivings about her handling of RWBY and JNR. 

“I trust you.” He and Taiyang had had their clashes over the years, but when push came to shove, they had each other’s backs. Taiyang trusted him, and he trusted Taiyang to come through if things got hard. STRQ had stood strong for quite some time for a reason. Even now, without Raven, Qrow wasn’t too concerned about their ability to withstand most things.

This mission would put them to the test though, all of them. 

“We’re approaching the landing site.” Clover spoke up, and all chatter ceased instantly. The teams divided up on the transport, preparing for disembark. As soon as they hit the ground, the mission would begin.

* * *

The original goal was for the teams to try to divide up the herd. It was quickly proven that that wasn’t possible, and the teams ended up mixed together more than anything. The good news was, they were out on the tundra and there were no civilians around to exist as potential collateral damage. 

That didn’t make the fighting any easier. 

“Weiss, now!” He heard Ruby call out from several yards away - and right on cue a wall of icy spikes appeared, _finally_ cutting the Alpha off from the rest of the herd. He’d been right about there being an Alpha out here, and it brought the herd up to seven.

“Blake!” Yang called out just as suddenly. 

The aforementioned Faunus threw part of gambol shroud, and Yang caught it. The two of them yanked the ribbon tight. The large grimm stumbled on the ribbon thrown low across its path. 

Summer darted in to assist, but it was Ruby and the power of a silver-eyed warrior that downed the Alpha before Summer reached the fray. 

There was no more time to watch as Qrow and Taiyang engaged one of the other Megoliath. Elm and Vine were working on a third, and JNR were handling one of their own. It was still a mess on the battlefield. RWBY moved onto their second now that the Alpha was gone. 

Qrow didn’t _think_ Ruby would use her eyes again, now that the Alpha was down.… He also had a feeling he’d have a few questions to answer from the Ace Ops later - or she would, rather. Though it was possible that Clover at least would ask him instead. The leader of the Ace ops had taken something of a shine to him.

Qrow still wasn’t sure if he was flirting or just _like that,_ and he was almost afraid to ask. No, he didn’t need that complication in his life. He’d hope that Clover understood that his attempt at friendliness was an attempt to smooth over their working together at Ironwood’s insistence. 

This was not the time to be distracted with such thoughts - a glance, and Taiyang met his gaze. A nod and Qrow transformed Harbinger into its scythe form, darting forward as Taiyang pulled back, the bladed edge sliced against the Megoliath’s throat. It wasn’t a killing blow by any means, but it made a mark at least.

Taiyang darted back in, Storm Dragon activating with lightning dust as he threw his full force into the attack. 

* * *

The fight wore on. But they _were_ winning, one by one, they were downing the Grimm, though there was a small setback, of course, as a group of sabyr joined the combat. Thankfully, sabyr weren’t particularly difficult to fight, and they were quickly able to clear them out of the way to finish their original mission.

It had taken them several hours, and they were all feeling the extended fighting - but it was over. Back on the airship, Jaune set to healing the injuries that had been picked up over the course of the fight. Qrow tucked himself on one side of Summer, Yang and Ruby were talking with Taiyang, though it was hard to say how long that would last.

“I see why James gave them their licenses early, now.”

Qrow laughed shortly, but sobered up quickly. “Yeah, I bet you do. I didn’t expect her to _do_ that, but I guess Maria really _has_ gotten her to where she can mostly activate them on command.”

“It wasn’t just that, it was… everything. The whole team and how cohesively they work. _We_ couldn’t have done that fresh out of our first year.”

“We were lacking in certain pressing circumstances to force us to find our best faster than we should have. I think we would have, in the same situation.”

“I don’t.” Taiyang’s voice caught them both off-guard, and Qrow jerked his head up slightly to meet the blond’s gaze. “We learned, and the pressure eventually broke our team into shards. They learned and stood up under its weight to continue onward despite the odds.”

Taiyang had a point, Qrow supposed, mentally flashing back to how defeated he’d felt at the realization that Salem couldn’t be _destroyed_. But Ruby had kept her head up and pushed onward. And her team had followed her lead. _Could_ STRQ have done the same with Summer leading them? Qrow wanted to believe so, but perhaps the reality was that… it wasn’t true.

“I think it’s because you prepared them better. They had a better base to start from than any of us, and they always knew you had their backs.”

“Maybe.” 

And for the moment, the conversation was left there. It had gone better than Qrow had been afraid of - both the mission and the conversation afterward. He moved over to join Ruby and Yang with their team. “Good job out there, kids.”

“Thanks.” Ruby chirped. 

Qrow would have said more, but Clover was trying to get his attention, so he stepped towards the Ace Ops leader and braced himself for what he expected would be an _interesting_ conversation.

But, instead of the questions about what had happened, all Clover wanted to discuss was how the mission had gone, and what their next steps were going to be regarding preparing for the tower launch. 

Qrow _might_ have to share the flexibility with James. It was a startling surprise from one of Atlas’ best. Though admittedly a rather pleasant one.

* * *

“Hey, Ruby. Do you have a few minutes?” Summer didn’t often catch her alone and honestly didn’t often try. She’d been giving the younger girl some space and hoping that eventually she would start to come around on her own. 

The mission they’d all gone on together had been something of a turning point for them, but there were still some uncertain points and distances between them. 

“Sure.” Ruby answered after only a moment, with a small smile and an open stance.

A good sign, Ruby wasn’t closing off on her already. 

“What you and your team did with the Megoliath, that was pretty impressive.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Ruby blushed slightly and fidgetted.

“I’m serious. When I was your age, I didn’t have nearly that control over my powers as a silver-eyed warrior.”

“I didn’t get here alone though.” Ruby said, tone reasonable. “I only got this far because I’ve had so many people help me.”

“That’s a good thing though.” Summer responded, tone soft. “Having good allies is important, as a huntress. No one expects you to do everything yourself.”

“I guess.” Ruby allowed with a shrug. “Sometimes it just feels like I can’t do _enough_. I’m not fast enough, or strong enough. I try, but…” Her shoulders drooped slightly.

“It’s easy to take too much weight onto your own shoulders.” Summer acknowledged. “As a team leader, and as a huntress. I think that’s something you got from all three of us.”

Ruby couldn’t help but let out a short laugh and nod slightly. “I think so.” She admitted. “So you feel… that way too, sometimes?”

Summer nodded solemnly. “And it’s important that you care, that it matters to you. But you do have to remember that there’s only so much any one person can ever do. As long as you are giving it your best, that’s the important part.”

Ruby nodded once. “I think Ozpin said something similar to me, once.”

“Probably. He certainly shared a similar sentiment with me, when I was trying to navigate being a team leader.”

There was a pause for a moment while Summer gathered her thoughts. “And Ruby? I wanted to tell you, I’m really proud of you. This is more than anyone should have on their shoulders, and you’re facing it head on. That takes an incredible amount of strength.” And while some part of Summer didn’t like knowing that this weight was on her daughter’s shoulders…. she was also honored to see that she had grown with such grace and strength.

Not just anyone could have faced what Ruby had already been through, Summer knew. And here Ruby was with her head up and still fighting. It said a lot about the kind of person that she was.

Instead of speaking, Ruby rewarded Summer with a tight hug around her middle. Summer loosely hugged her back.

Qrow was right, maybe nothing would be the same as it had once been. But this? This was _absolutely_ worth having.

* * *

Setting up a quiet dinner, just for the three of them in his quarters, had been easier than Qrow expected. Qrow still didn’t know where this was going to lead them, or if they were all going to take a step back and keep focusing on what was ahead of them for the war.

But they weren’t promised forever, and the chance to at least try to see if they were still entwined seemed for the best. No one was promised forever and delaying on living their lives because something might happen was… foolish at best. It was a lesson Qrow had learned over the years from those who would stand beside him despite the threat he posed.

Summer joined him first, settling down in one of the chairs at the table. He set a mug of tea down, carefully away from the edge to try to minimize the chances of his semblance wrecking havoc on his plans. 

“Food will be done shortly.”

“When did you learn to cook?”

Qrow snorted. “Ah, while you were gone.” While Taiyang had been in the depths of depression and someone had needed to feed the girls and also make sure Tai ate _something_. 

“Right, of course.” Summer didn’t push him, and Qrow was glad for that. 

“Not that this is anything fancy, a stir-fry, some rice…” He shrugged. “Learned the recipe from Tai so we’ll see if I pulled it off.”

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Summer responded warmly. “I…”

“What’s on your mind, shortstack?” He didn’t turn to face her. Sometimes it was easier for her to talk if his full focus wasn’t on her, and besides that he didn’t want the stir-fry to burn. 

“I still don’t remember much.” He could hear the defeated tone in her voice, and could picture the way her shoulders slumped as she cupped the mug. “But I’ve been having these dreams of a place where it’s always nighttime.… And purple dust crystals and I don’t… know why.”

“I see.” Qrow frowned slightly. The description was… familiar. He could see Salem and the tar-like liquid that had granted her some powers of destruction in his mind. “Salem, then, probably. That sounds like her base.”

But what had happened in that gap of time? And was Summer just a ticking time bomb, then? No. It seemed more likely, at least to Qrow, that she’d managed to break free. Perhaps the memory wipe was some kind of failsafe for just such an occurrence?

Qrow set the thoughts aside for the moment, concentrating instead on portioning out the rice and stir-fry into three different dishes.

Taiyang made his appearance then, before they could discuss it much further, and for the moment the conversation topic was set aside.

Dinner was had, they talked almost like old times, and for the first time Qrow could really _see_ the cracks starting to heal. It said something that they healed, even after all this time. That the pieces snapped back together despite all the newly broken edges between them. 

There was something to be said, about what that meant for the three of them, wasn’t there?

“To the future.” Tai held up his mug slightly as if to toast. Summer laughed but echoed the motion and words.

“To the future, and to us.” Qrow added a second later before taking a sip of his tea.

There was a quiet moment after where the three of them linked hands, threading their fingers together and remaining like that around the table.

Their broken family, full of contradictions - but it was _their_ family. And Qrow had always felt safe within it. That hadn’t changed. Their family had only grown. 


End file.
